Two named in theft of construction gear

By JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST Staff writer

Published 12:07 am, Tuesday, July 19, 2011

MOHAWK -- Two Voorheesville brothers have been charged with possessing three pieces of stolen equipment, including a $138,000 excavator swiped from the construction site of the State Police's new Troop G headquarters in Latham.

Samuel T. Tommell, 32, and Adam S. Tommell, 28, both of 277 Stove Pipe Road, have been charged with five felonies in Montgomery and Albany counties linked to the stolen equipment, State Police said.

The brothers have been charged with felony possession of stolen property and illegal possession of a vehicle ID number in connection with the 2007 Caterpillar 320CLU Excavator stolen from the State Police construction site on Troy-Schenectady Road in October 2010, which troopers said they recovered at a farm located on Samek Road in the Montgomery County town of Mohawk.

State Police said the excavator is worth $138,000 and had its VIN number removed.

The Tommells are also charged in connection with a stolen $58,000 2007 Kubota KX121-3 excavator and $5,500 2005 Haulmark construction trailer, which were allegedly found on a farm on Upper Flat Rock Road in New Scotland.

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The second excavator was reported stolen from the Thruway in May 2010, while the trailer was reported stolen in Bethlehem in November, State Police said.

Troopers said both pieces of equipment also had their VIN numbers removed.

The brothers face two more counts of felony possession of stolen property in connection with the equipment found in Albany County, as well as an additional felony charge of illegal possession of a vehicle ID number.

They were arraigned in Mohawk Town Court and released after posting $15,000 bail, troopers said. They were also arraigned in New Scotland Town Court and released on $10,000 bail.

The Tommells were arrested on Friday, but State Police did not announce the arrests until Monday.

Bethlehem Police and the Albany County Sheriff's Office assisted the investigation. Troopers said more charges are pending against the brothers.

Reach Jordan Carleo-Evangelist at 454-5445, jcarleo-evangelist@timesunion.com or on Twitter @JCEvangelist_TU.